The present disclosure broadly relates to printing systems and, more particularly, to paper sheet transport within printing systems. A gateless diverter consists of adjoining concave and convex elements to direct the leading edge of paper in transport away from potential stubbing points in a paper path.
Known printing systems are generally capable of marking sheets of media of a variety of types (e.g., plain paper, bond paper, recycled paper, card stock, and transparencies), sizes (e.g., letter, legal, A3, A4) and/or in different orientations (e.g., long-edge feed, short-edge feed). Typically, a known printing system will include at least one media tray capable of receiving a bulk quantity (e.g., stack, package, ream) of sheets of media and introducing the bulk quantity to a suitable sheet feeding system or mechanism to advance individual sheets in an known manner. Often, known printing systems will include numerous media trays with each tray receiving a different type, size and/or orientation of sheet media.
Many known printing systems are capable of determining which particular one of a number of pre-defined sizes and/or orientations of sheet media have been loaded into the storage tray. Unfortunately, these and other known printing systems and media tray arrangements suffer from problems and disadvantages that can, in certain applications, limit the use and/or effectiveness of the same. Similarly, the transport of paper sheets within a printing system can pose difficulties due to stubbing and/or jamming within a paper path.
In one example, paper is transported within the printing system via a path located within a door. In particular, the door paper path transports one or more sheets vertically from a tray module to an image marking engine (IME). These sheets can be introduced from both a multi-sheet inserter (MSI) and a paper feed platform (PFP) and can act as an inverter for sheets entering from a duplex path of the IME. The proximity of the MSI and PFP entry chutes, coupled with the offset of nips within the paper path, provide potential stubbing points when feeding sheets from the tray module. Actuated diverters have traditionally been employed in conventional print system designs. Diverters, however, add cost to print system designs since extra components are required. Moreover, actuated diverters wear down mechanically and are unreliable for long term use which is required of most printing systems. What are needed are systems and methods that overcome the above referenced difficulties associated with paper transport within a print system.